双语 诗歌 Truth 人生无奢望 但求一个“真”

作者：何功杰 教授  来源：爱思英语

这首诗被认为是乔叟在临危时所作，以诫世人。诗中的“truth”是化用了《圣经》“约翰8.32”中耶稣所说的话语：“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 中世纪英语“trouthe”这个词有多重含义：有宗教方面含义的“真诚”，“忠诚”（the religious truth of Christianality），有道德含义方面的“真心”，“诚实”，“忠贞” （the moral virtue of integrety），还有哲学思想方面的“真实”，“真理”(the philosophical idea of reality)等等。此词在现代英语中也是一个多义词，也正是这个词的多义性，这首诗才显得耐读，但翻译则很难照顾全面，有人译为“真理”则容易误导读者；这里笔者试以一“真”字译而概之。

  

  

                                                  Truth 

 

                                    Flee fro the prees and dwelle with soothfastnesse;2.

                                    Suffise onto thy thing , though it be smal;3.

                                    For hoard hath hate, and climbing tikeelesse;4.

                                    Prees hath envye, and wele blent overal;5.

                                    Savoure no more than thee bihoove shal;6.

                                    Rule wel thyself that other folk canst rede:7.

                                    And Trouthe shal delivere, it is no drede.8.

 

                                    Tempest thee nought al crooked to redresse9.

                                    In trust of hire that turneth as a bal;10.

                                    Muche wele stant in litel bisinesse;11

                                    Be war therefore to spurne ayains an al.12

                                    Strive nat as dooth the crokke with the wal.13

                                    Daunte14 thyself that dauntest others deede:

                                    And Trouthe shal delivere, it is no drede.

 

                                    That thee is sent, receive in buxomnesse; 15

                                    The wrastling for the world axeth a fal;16

                                    Here is noon hoom, here nis but wildernesse:17

                                    Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beest, out of thy stal!

                                    Know thy countree, looke up, thank God of al.

                                    Hold the heigh way and lat thy gost18 thee lede:

                                    And Trouthe shal delivere, it is no drede.

 

                                                                  Envoy

                                    Therefore, thou Vache19, leve thyn olde wrecchednesse

                                    Unto the world; leve now to be thral. 20

                                    Crye him mercy that of his heigh goodnesse

                                    Make thee of nought, and in especial

                                    Draw unto him, and pray in general,

                                    For thee and eek for othere, hevenelich meede:21

                                    And Trouthe shal delivere, it is no drede.

 

                                            真                                                                           

 

                                     逃离繁华人群，来和“真”住在一起；

                                    你自己东西尽管不多，但要学会知足；

                                    敛财容易招人仇恨，攀高不保安逸；

                                    人众会产生妒忌，财多会使人炫目。

                                    乐于应得的那一份，不要过多贪图；

                                    欲要能劝勉别人，先须管好你自己：      

                                     “真”会给你自由，不必有任何怀疑。

 

                                    遇见不公不要过激去打抱不平，

                                    相信命运，它的转动如同球体；

                                    少一点忧虑就会多一点心宁；

                                    避免那些有损无益的拳打脚踢。

                                    千万防止硬拼，尽量不要以卵砸石。

                                    要能控制别人，先要控制好你自己：

                                    “真”会给你自由，不必有任何怀疑。

 

                                    学会顺从分派，不要贸然拒绝；

                                    当今与世争强等于自求灭亡；

                                    这里不是家乡，这里只是一片荒野。

                                    出来，虔诚旅客！走出棚栏，牛羊!

                                    认识你的家乡，抬起头来，感谢上苍。

                                    顺着大路前进，听任你心灵指引：

                                    “真”会给你自由，不必有任何怀疑。

 

                                                      结尾

                                    因此，阿牛啊，摆脱你那可怜状况，

                                    离开你那被人奴役的境地。

                                    求上帝恩赐仁慈，他以无比善良

                                    造就了人，不要任何回报；尤其

                                    要靠近他，祈祷他普济众生，

                                    为你，为他人，求上帝赐天恩福祉：

                                    “真”会给你自由，不必有任何怀疑

 

                                                                     

                                                                                                ——杰弗雷·乔叟